This specification pertains to new and improved grinding apparatuses. It is primarily directed to grinding equipment intended for domestic or home type use in grinding nuts such as peanuts into nut butters of different consistencies. It is considered, however, that the grinding equipment herein disclosed is capable of being used in grinding other materials than nuts.
The field of grinding is of course extremely old. Mankind has been utilizing grinding equipment of various types since prior to the advent of civilization. As society has changed grinding equipment has tended to become increasingly sophisticated. A large number of different types of specialized grinding apparatuses have been developed for various types of specialized uses. It is considered that there has been an increasing tendency for such equipment to be specifically designed for certain comparatively large commercial uses. Practically all ground foodstuffs are now commercially prepared using such comparatively large equipment.
There are, however, a few exceptions to this. On occasion some foodstuffs such as meats, spices, coffee and the like are domestically ground prior to use utilizing specialized home type grinding equipment. Frequently the individual who grinds such materials domestically considers that a freshly ground product prepared in the home is more desirable than a commercially ground product which is stored for an indeterminable period after being ground prior to being consumed. The reasons why individuals hold such beliefs are unimportant to a consideration of the present invention. It is considered, however, important to note that in general a piece of "home" grinding equipment is primarily intended to be used and is primarily useful in grinding a single type of material. This can be illustrated by noting that a common domestic meat grinder is normally constructed differently from a domestic coffee mill and that both of these types of grinders are normally significantly different from many spice grinders such as a domestic nutmeg grinder.
It is not considered that any of these home type grinding apparatuses are particularly suitable for use in grinding nuts so as to make nut butters because of their construction and because of the physical characteristics of various types of nut butters. The reasons for this are varied and complex. An understanding of the present invention is not believed to require a detailed understanding and/or review of these reasons. However, it is noted that frequently the user of a nut butter will desire a freshly ground product having either a smooth type consistency and/or a chunky type consistency in which particles of nuts are dispersed in a smoothly ground product.